Automatic envelop feeding, moistening, and sealing machine.



No. 821,501. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

J. JOHNSTON.

AUTOMATIC ENVBLOP'FEEDING, MOISTENING, AND SEALING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED M11114, 1903. RENEWED DBO. 1, 1905.

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PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

J.J0HNSTON. AUTOMATIC ENVELOP FEEDING, MOISTENING AND SEA LING MACHINE.

i APPLICATION FILED MAY i, 1903. RENEWED D30. 1

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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No. 821,501. PATENTEDMAY 22, I906.

LJOHNSTON. AUTOMATIC ENVELOP PEEDING MOISTENIN AP'PLIOATION FILED MAY4,1903.' RENE G, AND SEALING MACHINE. wan D30. 1, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED MAY 22. 1906.

J. JOHNSTON.

AUTOMATIGENVELOP FEEDING,

MOISTENING, AND SEALING MACHINE.

LPPLIOATION FILED MAY4,1903. RENEWED DBO. 1, 1905.

4 sums- 115231: 4.

UNITED STATES ATENT- OFFICE.

. JOHN JoHNsromoF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. AUTOMATIC .ENVELOP FEEDING, MOISTENIINGJAND' SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed May 4,1903. Renewed December '1, 1995. Serial No. 289,851.

To' all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN J OHNSTON, a citi vented a certain newand useful Improvement in Automatic Envelop-Feeding, Moistoning, and'Sealin Machines, of which the following is aspec' cation.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in automatic envelop feeding,

moistening, and sealing machines; andpthe obe'cts of my improvement are, first, to, rov1 e a machine 1; at will automatically aw the envelope into the machine or between the feed-rollersoi the machine; second, at the same time to moisten or dampen the mucila e or glue on the envelo and, third, aftert e mucilage on the enve op has been moistened and the envelop passed through the feedroll ers to seal the envelop by automatically passing it through the sealing-rollers and cast it from the machine. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in whichigure-l 1s a topplan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertica section of the machine on the line 2 2. The line 2 2 a pears in Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional Ian on t e line 33. lhe

. [line 3 3 appears in ig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machme. v Similar reference-numbers refer to similar parts throughout the'several views.

'1 is the framework of the machine, which ma be of any ordinary construction and may be ormed of any suitable material.

The feed-boardis in two parts, one remov able and the other stationary, and may be made of any suitable material, but (preferably of metal. 4

The two. arts are joine together, asindicated by the 'ne 2, and when in place I areinclined toward the machine, as indicated 1 Sistheremoval part in Figs. 2 and 4.

of the feed-board, and to the end nearest the machine is attached or formed integral with it a lip 4 which is to catch under a cross-piece 5, which extends across the machine horizontally and directly infront of the feed-roller 6. 7 is the stationtry partof said feed-board, the outward edgeof which is fastened to the body of the machine 1 with thciri er edge resting on a sprin 8, which in turn rests upon the horizonta cross-piece 5, so that when the feed device 9 im the course of its revolutions brings the roller 33 in contact with the inner art of the feedf board 7 the said inner part 0 thefeed-board is do ressed to the position shown by the dotted ines 10, thus preventing the machine by hand or other power, and sai crank 11 is attached to a -main shaft 12, which passes through and serves as an axle for the lower feed-roller 6 and has no vertical movement. 6 is a feed-roller, which with device 9 0011* stitute two feed devices. 14 14 are the moistening-rollers. 3 15 is the sealin -roller, which seals by contact with the fee -roller 6 and in addition to scaling discharges the envelop from the machine. These rollers 15 6 and device 9 and 14 14 are connected by a train of gears, as shown in the side elevation Fig. 4, the teeth of the wheels being in mesh. The sealingroller 15 is held in place by the spiral springs 16, so that an envelop with heavy inclosure may pass between the sealing-rollers 15 and 6. The shaft 1 7, around which the moisteningrollers 14 revolve,.has no vertical movement, and the feed device 9 is held apart from the shaft 17 by a spiral spring 51 for the purpose of allowing envelops with thick inclosu'res to ass between the feed device 9 and feedro er 6, the teeth of the cog-wheels and 52 being lon enough to allow the feed device 9 to rise sull'lciently for that purpose and the teeth still remain in mesh.

18 is the water pan or reservoir in which the water is contained for moistening the rollers 14 and from which the water passes through an opening closed b a valve 19v upon a rod 22, whic is opened means of a cam 20 on the end of the sha t 17, which raises an arm 21, attached rigidly tothe said" 'rod 22. The'valve 19 when loose upon the rod 22 may bekept shut by means of a spring 23. The operation of the said valve is regu- -lated by a screw 24,- so that too much water will not pass through into the outer part of said pan under the moistening-rollers. Tlns is accomplished in the following manner: When the screw 24 is set, the horizontal rod 22 raises the valve 19 with every revolution of the cam 20 and allows the water to pass through into the outer part of said pan under the moistening-roller, and when the machine has run a time if too much water asses into the outer part of said. pan then i the screw 24 is loosened the horizontal rod 22 turns in its socket and does not open valve '19", and they spring 23 holds the valve 19,sh ut, and the. wa- T catch the flaps of the envelops and straighten them out, so that the moistening-rollers will, wet the mucilage or glue on same. j A feature of the feed device 9 'is that it consists of a main shaft 28, and to this are fas-;

tened two metal circular disks 29, in which is embedded the movable part of the feed-roller 30, which is made of wood or other suitable material and on the outersurface or edge of which is a thin layer of rubber 31. The movable part of said feed device rests on two spiral springs 32, which allow the movable part 30 of the feed device 9 to be depressed 7, so that it is,-fiush with the outer edges of the circular disks 29. This is for the purpose of preventing the envelops from being torn and to prevent strain upon the machine. On the ends of the movable part of said feed de vice 30' are placed two circular resilient disks 33, which by contact lower the feed-board 7 them toward the machine.

and so allow the envelo s to .be drawn, one at a time, into the feed evices without being torn.

As man envelops with inclosures-as the feed-boar will hold are placed with the flap up, as indicated by dotted envelop 25. Then the follower 26 is placed behind'them to push I The projections 27 straighten up the flaps, if any are down, the moistening-rollers wet the mucilage, and

when the rubber of the movable feed device 31 strikes the envelop it forces it between the feedboard'7 and the metal disks 29 and also allows the feed-board 7 to be depressed a sufscrew 38 and kept in position b a spring 39,

said arm being connected by a ink 40 to the eccentricall -mounted bar 41, which is pivoted in the si e frame 1. To the bar 41-are fastened the ejectors 42, which rest back against cross-piece 43. Said ejectors at every revolution of the cam 36 fly forward through the slots 44 and drive the envelop into the sealingrollers 15 and 6, which after sealing the envelop cast it out of the machine down the incline 45. Another feature of the machine is the lever 46, which is pivoted at 47 and fas tened to the support forthe sealing-roller 15 by bolt 48 and also tocross-piece 49, which straining the mac'hine.

Having th described thein'vention, what .41 claim is' rests on 'topiof-the lever46 and the end of which projects from the side of the machine,

as shown. IUpon pressing down upon the cross-pieces!) the lever 46 is'depressed, thus lowering the sealing-roller 15- to any desired distance, thereby enabling envelope. with heavy'inclosures to pass-1 through without "I. In anenvelop feeder, imoistener; and

sealer, thecombination o'fadevices for autozmatica'llyffeeding the envelops into the machine, means for moistening the flaps auto-v matically while the envelop is 'bein fed' into the feed'dev'ices, meansfor opening efiaps if. shut, sealing-rollers the .u permost thereof being also a part of the eed devices, and means forforcin the envelop automatically into the same-su stantially as set forth. when it comes in contact with the feed-board '2, In an envelop feeder, moistener- -and sealer, the combination of, an inclined feed:

board, a follower, feed devices, sealing-rollers arranged oneabove the other, the up or one thereof being the lower part of the eed devices, moistenin -rollers, 'a water-reservoir,

and means for ampening said moisteningrollers from the water-reservoir,-dev'ices "for straightening out the-flaps if any are turned down and means for de ressing 'said feedboard adjacent to thefee devices to prevent a the envelops from being tornand to prevent strain upon the machine, all substantially as set fort *3. In an envelop sealer the combination of a-train of gears for furnishing the power from one main shaft: or

feeder, moistener' and IOO rod, feed devices arranged one above the other, the upper onebeing movable vertically when in use to prevent undue strain on the machine, sealing-rollers, the upper one there of being the lower part of the feed devices, verticallymovable bearings for the lower sealing-roller so that it may yield when en,

velops pass through, and means for forcin the envelo s between the sealing-rollers, al substantia ly as set forth.

' 4. In .an envelop feeder, moistenerand.

sealer the combinationof one feed-roller '6 and feed device -9 for carrying the envelop into the machine, an incline therein to receive the envelop and: reverse the motion thereof, sealing devices consisting of the'feedroller 6 in conjunction with a roller 15 for sealing the envelop and ejecting it from the machine, means for automaticallymoistening the fiaps of the envelops before they are 'drawninto the feed devices, means for-automatically. straightening the flaps, means for carrying the envelop into the machine with-- out tearing itand without strain on the machine, and means for forcing-the envelops into Fhe hsealing-rollers, all substantially as set ort 5. In an envelop feeder, 'moistener and ,seeling .devices, means to: moistenin io flaps of the envelope before they are rewn sealer, the combination of a main shaft and a train of gears for furnishing the power, one feed-roller 6 and feed device 9 driven by said shaft and gee s for carrying the envelops into the machine, an incline on the inside of the machine for reversin the motion of theenvelop,, a movable ro ler arranged to operate 1n connection with thefeed-roller 6 as the into the feed devices, means for dampening" the ,moisteni-ng rollers, means for 'strei hte'nve ops between the sealing-rollers, all substentielly as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 7

JOHN JOvHNSTON. Witnesses:

Enw. L. DILLON,

En. F. MCKEE. 

